Ocean City Amateur Golf Association

John Larson was in the Final Four. He is the early Big Favorite to retain his OCAGA title. It will be held at Pinelands where John has just made it two in a row taking another Club Championship. When he stays in the fairway or very short rough, he sends soaring bombs to the greens in regulation. Bohan’s poetic golf swing, Kissinger’s power and accuracy and Jim Cummings finesse had them sitting pretty, eyeing the final three spots. They needed only to keep out of the cellar. Finger and Lazarchick were almost long shots six strokes off the Final Four Pace. Pretty much, they knew they would need victory to have a chance. The Vineyards was in great shape, beautiful fairways leading to lightening fast greens. It was a truly beautiful fall day, sunny with a very pleasant cool breeze.

In the Polish American Tavern Stasiu and Casimir were waxing nostalgic. There was a time when Lazarchick was considered the next Art Czacharowski. Art won 5 OCAGA Champioships including the one where he shot his age at 87. Glen Hamm won back to back in 2012 &13, but in 2014 could no longer beat Lazarchick, who then proceeded very quickly to accumulate three big wins. No one else has more than two and LZ holds the record for most second place finishes. Last season he had a very weak ending and in early spring this year the stage four Cancer diagnosis shocked the Tavern world.

After a truly magnificent drive, Lazarchick was the only player to make par on the first hole. Both Stasiu and Cas moved their body with the long Putt that just missed on 2. It was a tap in Bogie. On the third hole and fourth holes he dropped Par. The Polish American Tavern fans were in an early Ecstatic Frenzy. This was Championship Form Lazarchick.

Bill Finger struggled to a 7 on four and an 8 on six eliciting moans in the Bierhaus. But otherwise he was putting on a show of his own, igniting roaring cheers. Bill is being called the most improved player on the Tour, a True Contender! He and LZ would finish the front with gross 45 tied for second behind John with a sweet 41.

For John it was a fairly relaxing day. He tried shots and took risks outside his normal conservative approach. Jim Cummings was focused and deliberate. He wanted a decent game as one of the favorites. He took his spot in the Final Four. Despite the very fast greens and difficulty getting close to the holes John and Jim both adjusted well enough to tie with low gross at 90. Marc Bohan and Dave Kissinger were not so lucky. Normal shots were hitting the green and rolling through, some into the rough. Despite acknowledgements of how fast were the greens, far too many putts continued to roll farther than expected. Putts too soft would near the hole, slow down and turn away from the cup. Eddie Hannan, Joe Champion, Fran Middleman and Phil Stocker with handicaps in the 20s and scores over 100, all beat them, Marc finishing 10th and Dave 11th.

Michael Lazarchick delivered his best day of driving off the tee all season, consistently hitting the fairways with considerable distance. However, Stasui and Casimir were lamenting his obvious fatigue midway through the front nine, watching him struggle to 8 strokes over par in the last 5 holes. They had heard the interview when he discussed experiencing peripheral neuropathy, numbness in his hands and feet, a side effect of Chemo. Stasui noticed his hero was counting strokes, talking to himself and moving beads on a string to keep track. Casimir told him that Michael’s short term memory was compromised and apparently every swing required substantial concentration.

Lazarchick opened the back with a 12 foot putt for par on ten, but quickly squashed blowout hope following with a double, triple, double bogie. While now clearly hobbling back and forth from the golf cart, he was also taking deep breaths and still delivering beautiful tee box drives. But, he had virtually no natural feeling in his hands and feet. Little pains were distracting. His body felt strange. Short irons, pitches and chips were the problem. He could no longer loft a ball and stick it next to the pin with confidence. By the end his only shot from 130 in, was bump and run or a putt. After the par on number 3, he played the other par 3 holes, 10 over.

Bill Finger was beaming, very pleased with his play on most par fours and all the par threes. He did play the tenth hole three over par and the par fives, two over on 15 and three over on eighteen. Brunhilde told Wolfgang that Bill seemed to be playing just of the opposite of Lazarchick. It was in fact a very up and down match, with the lead going back and forth between the two. After the first few holes no one else was close to them throughout the tournament. They had the same handicap. Michael’s score was climbing all season and Bill’s was dropping all season. They both finished with net 72, displaying a perfectly matched handicap, in a dead heat tie for the Victory, a very rare event! They joined Larson and Cummings in the Final Four.

SEASON FINAL POINTS

FINAL FOUR

148 Larson, John
135 Finger, Bill
132 Lazarchick,Michael
127 Cummings, Jim

123 Bohan, Marc
120 Kissinger, Dave
114 MacGregor, Keith
107 Hannan, Eddie
102 Champion, Joe
86 Swanson, Andy
81 Stocker, Phil
79 Borillo, Ed
75 Midgette, Troy
70 Fran Middleman
61 Finger, Ruthann
56 Cummings, Susan

RESULTS

SCORECARD

SCATS

CHAMPIONSHIP October 21st 10am PINELANDS

HANDICAPS

14 G Larson, John
14 G Cummings, Jim
21 G Finger, Bill
21 R Lazarchick

TWO PERSON SCRAMBLE – LOWEST HANDICAP MATCHED WITH HIGHEST, MOVING TOWARDS THE MIDDLE

14 G Bohan, Marc
18 R Cummings, Sue
22 G Middleman, Fran
22 G Swanson, Andy
23 G/R Kissinger, Dave
23 G MacGregor, Keith
24 R Borillo, Ed
24 G/R Champion, Joe
26 R Midgette, Troy
26 R Hannan, Eddie
28 R Finger, Ruthann
28 R Stocker, Phil

In Le Petite Café, Pierre was dancing with facial expressions showing love and arms making artistic movements. He was in ecstasy watching Marc Bohan navigate Pitman Golf Course with grace and mastery. Like directing an orchestra, he followed, and at times stimulated, the “oohs and aahs” from the patrons. It would be Marc’s best score in as long as he could remember, two sub 40 rounds on the front and back. Marc would win the tournament with four over par. He was beaming. He stayed around for drinks and accolades for his performance. Finally he delivered an outing he was really proud of.

Next door, Lazarchick was electrifying the Polish American Tavern, sinking two tap in Birdies and a nasty par, to finish the front only two strokes back of Marc with a gross 40. With a 25 handicap LZ was blistering the field and they saw the scoreboard. This was the Lazarchick that won three championships with a handicap then in the low teens. On the 9th hole however, he finally missed a fairway and lumbered in for a double bogey. He looked tired.

John Larson, Dave Kissing, Bill Finger and Jim Cummings were not that far off the pace, all legitimate contenders for late season lead. John is having a phenomenal year, always near the top and holding his lead easily. He has a gentle soul and is well liked. Dave and Bill are vying for most improved player of the year. They both have considerable power and are keeping the ball in play. Jim is clearly one of the best on tour. He can keep pace with Larson and Lazarchick and they are all of course chasing Marc. Andy Swanson, Eddie Borillo, Sue Cummings and Ruthann Finger, were having a nice showing, but they did not have enough overall points to reach the top five. Midgette, Hannan, Stocker, Middleman and Champion were up around 100 gross, earning few points with the clock ticking down.

At the turn, Lazarchick normally this season, has been showing some fatigue. He started the back 6,7,6 losing all the strokes he was ahead after the front 40. Two holes later he did not see the par 3, a side effect of Androgen Deprivation, a Spatial Dissonance experience. He saw a red flag in the distance, accepted the statement the next hole was about 100 yards away and hit the ball into a trap half way to that flag. The trap was on the right side of the actual green which came into his consciousness as he analyzed what went wrong. Marc whizzed past him by 12 strokes on the back as LZ struggled to maintain concentration and a semblance of decent swings. Ever after one of his best starts ever, Michael barely held on to second place with Larson, Swanson and Kissinger all charging towards the lead, finishing 3rd, 4th and 5th. Ed Borillo and Ruthann were next with higher handicaps. Jim and Sue Cummings tied with identical handicaps and Billl Finger was one back with the higher handicap. Midgette and Hannan were 9th and 10th.

John Larson maintained his point lead and will be in the Final Four. There are not enough points for Fifth place Finger and Lazarchick at 107 each to catch him. However, with big finishes against poor finishes, Bohan at 115, Kissinger and Jim Cummings at 113, are still vulnerable. Three of the five below John will join him in the finals. Michael and Bill need to win or be second while Bohan, Kissinger or Cummings end up near the bottom. VEGAS does not see that happening.

POINTS WITH ONE TO GO

133 Larson, John In the Final Four
115 Bohan, Marc Probably in the Final Four
113 Kissinger, Dave Likely to make the Final Four
113 Cummings, Jim Likely to make the Final Four
107 Lazarchick, Michael Needs a great game and Luck
107 Finger, Bill Needs a great game and Luck
95 MacGregor, Keith Pretty Much Mathematically Eliminated
94 Hannan, Eddie
91 Champion, Joe
86 Swanson, Andy
79 Borillo, Ed
75 Midgette, Troy
72 Stocker, Phil
60 Middleman, Fran
44 Cummings, Susan
40 Finger, Ruthann

SCORECARD

FINISH

SCATS

Because several members will be in Senior Club Championship Tournaments, OCAGA is moving to Thursday for the next Tournament.

NEXT: VINEYARDS 10:06 THURSDAY OCTOBER 8TH

The Babbity Bowser Scottish Pub was simply ecstatic. Keith MacGregor, carrying a hefty handicap, ran away with the tournament with a blazing back 9. Bill Finger and Andy Swanson were fighting for the early lead on the front with Jim and Sue Cummings doing their best to cut into the strokes. Rookie Troy Midgette heated up on the back. Ruthann Finger was challenging the big guns, Larson, Bohan and Lazarchick. She beat them all on a fairly wet course that played very long in heavy warm humid air.  Fran Middleman and Phil Stocker tied Marc in gross score finishing 10th and 11th by virtue of higher handicap. Sue Cummings, Dave Kissinger, Joe Champion and Eddie Hannan struggled into net 80s on a day with no one breaking 90 in gross score. 

Keith’s swing was smooth with excellent rhythm from the 13th hole until the end, 3 bogeys and 3 pars. He beat second place finisher Bill Finger by 5 strokes. The Pub air was filled from raised mugs of Wee Heavy on Tap honoring Keith, a  rich, strong Scottish ale with deep notes of caramel, dried fruit, and toffee. The patrons were continually jumping with joy watching his late march to resounding victory. 

Bill Finger’s start was impressive considering his handicap. He was two strokes more than Andy Swanson, who was lowest on the front. And, a stroke more than John Larson and Marc Bohan and even with Jim Cummings, the low handicappers.  He would hold on to beat the crowd vying for second place. Once again Troy Midgette ignited Rookie of the Year Chants throughout the English Pub. He delivered a clean third place finish with a hot putter. Jim Cummings was fourth with the handicap tie breaker  over Andy Swanson and Ruthann Finger. John Larson took seventh place extending his lead in season points total beating Lazarchick with a lower handicap. Marc Bohan was ninth, beating Middleman and Stocker by handicap. 

The Polish American Tavern was fairly gloomy all through the tournament. Rich Antczak was not playing the tour this season and Lazarchick missed several drives with bad swings and could not drop putts. On the eighteenth hole however, LZ connected for his best drive of the day, a little bigger swing found the sweet spot sending the ball deep into the center of the fairway.  He decided to continue the gamble with his two wood off the turf. The sound of perfect contact  brought the fans to their feet, cheering as they witnessed a slight draw and perfect arc down the middle. It fell short of reaching the green on a very long par 4. He chose putter to traverse the last 30 feet to the pin from the fairway, a safer shot than a chip if he missed. When it dropped into the center of the cup an explosion of joy erupted when he raised his arms and club into the air. The Nasty Birdy won the hole for three SCATS, the most on the day. Marc and Bill each had two. Andy, Dave, Jim and Troy had one. 

POINTS AFTER TWISTED

John, Jim, Dave, Bill and Marc continue to score well despite lowered handicaps. With the solid victory, undoubtedly Keith will also see a drop. Lazarchick, Champion and Hannan are just a victory away from being serious competitors. The rest of the field missed tournaments and are more likely to be spoilers than make the final four.

RESULTS

SCORECARD

SCATS

NEXT:        Pittman      Wednesday     September 16th     11:30

John Larson surged into the point lead for the season with total domination at White Oaks. He beat second place finisher Michael Lazarchick by 6 strokes, posting the season low Gross Score of 79. With the majority of the Gold Tee Boxes under repair the Seniors were moved up close to the forward tees and John was just too commanding on the shorter course. He took all four Closest to the Pin. He carded 10 Pars and a Birdie. Needless to say the Hofbräuhaus    was delirious with joy. The “free” appetizer of the day, was Kartoffelkäse, made from mashed potatoes, sour cream, onions and spices. Augustiner Lagerbier Hell beer was the special on tap, served cool, but not ice cold like American beer. John bought rounds for all the tour professionals, taking the lion’s share of prize money. During the tournament, “On the Haus” Beer came with every CTP and the Birdie!   

The Polish American Tavern was just as Rowdy as Lazarchick surprised everyone with a sub 90 performance. Zakąski,  plates of hors d’oeuvres all with mouth watering kielbasa, graced the bar. Żywiec lager on tap was the special of the day. Beware of the Injured Player was clearly in play as LZ beat Troy Midgette by five strokes and in fourth, Dave Kissinger by seven. Michael was just trying to keep the ball in play, not over swinging for distance and really not concerned with his score. He lacked distance but sent his drive into the trees only once in 18 holes and was off the fairway in the rough relatively, few times.    Still far from normal competitive energy, he had decent energy going into the final holes, scoring well with a rhythmic slow swing, coupled with exceptional overall putting.      

In the English Pub, Scotch Eggs were being served gratis, both soft and hard-boiled eggs, wrapped in savory sausage meat, coated in breadcrumbs, and deep-fried. Alastair was telling Charles were giddy with Troy Midgette’s performance. Alastair was telling him that spiritually, the name Troy symbolizes resilience, protective strength, and nurturing devotion. When it was clear he has secured third, they started chanting Rookie of the Year. Dave Kissinger moved into second place in overall points with his forth place finish. Jim Cummings was a last minute scratch opening the door. Dave however was in a battle with Keith MacGregor and Eddie Hannan, beating them by lower handicap. Next,    Ed Borillo, Marc Bohan, Phil Stocker and Bill Finger were each separated by a stroke.    Joe Champion struggles to last place with a net over 80.         

RESULTS

SCORECARD

SCATS

Joe Champion displayed an excellent and quit clever advertisement for John’s Bargain Store. His Shorts ripped apart on the front nine. Of course, his response was about being able to buy plenty more at $5 a pair!

POINTS: Larson and Kissinger are looking strong towards making the final four. Bohan and Cummings just might be out of reach of the others in the seventies. There are five within striking distance, just a win away?

97 Larson, John
86 Kissinger, Dave
77 Bohan, Marc
77 Cummings, Jim
75 Hannan, Eddie
74 Champion, Joe
71 Finger, Bill
70 Lazarchick,Michael
70 MacGregor, Keith
64 Borillo, Ed
51 Stocker, Phil
50 Swanson, Andy
42 Midgette, Troy
39 Fran Middleman
20 * Antzcak, Rich
20 * Cummings, Susan
11 * Finger, Ruthann

* Non Members

NEXT:            TWISTED DUNE

WEDNESDAY         SEPTEMBER 2nd 9:21

Once again the Hofbräuhaus reverberated excitement. John Larson and Bill Finger were in an epic battle at Running Deer splitting the patrons into two camps. At one point John was six strokes back by handicap. He chipped away and then delivered a late surge. He picked up strokes with pars on thirteen, two on fifteen, and one of sixteen. He matched Birdie with Bill on seventeen, and then cruised in for a two stroke victory.    

In the Irish Pub, OB was talking about Jim Cummings being forced to play with a loaner club. Ruthann borrowed his putter.  However, he did retain his league point lead with a third place finish.   Dave Kissinger and Eddie Hannan remain competitive, finishing 4th and 5th respectively.

One of the fans filmed Joe Champion’s “Best Shot of the Day.” From the Danger Zone to a Gimme, he saved a double bogey. The replay runs every 10 minutes on the Champion Club highlights monitor, continuously sparking rancorous outcries.  

The Polish American Tavern women were swooning with the appearance of Aron Lazarchick on the tee boxes. The son of Michael, he is approximately the same age his father was when he started to play golf seriously. The women shed many tears when they found out Aron is married to the Exotic Czech Beauty Klara, with two young sons. 

Cummings and Larson were the only two able to break 90. Bohan, Champion, Finger, Kissinger, and Michael Lazarchick were in the 90s.  The other half of the field were over 100 in gross scores. It was the most difficult track the tour has encountered this season. 

RESULTS

SCORECARD

SCATS

POINTS AFTER RUNNING DEER

Joe Champion of course shattered the glass ceiling when he brought his daughter Stephanie into OCAGA. The men at all the establishments, except the Champion Club, were sure it would degrade play.The chatter was about how a woman could not compete and her significant beauty was clearly distracting. When Stephanie announced her intention to play from the Senior Tees, they were surprised. When she out drove legendary Art Czachorowski, most were dumbfounded. When she won multiple tournaments, the gallery following her expanded, substantially. While Andy Swanson, their dreamboat, brought the girl scouts to the tour, it was Stephanie who showed them women could play with the best and win!     She reached legendary status. In 2026 it is Ruthann Finger and Susan Cummings keeping the scouts engaged along with wishful thinking that Steph might find a way to play in another tournament.    

Marc Bohan opened the tournament Birdie Birdie, much to the chagrin of Jim Cummings who immediately found himself 4 stroke behind in gross score.     Ruthann opened Par Par Par, super charging scout “Ruthann Ruthann” chanting. She captured the early net lead. The Champions Club and Polish American Tavern however, erupted with enthusiasm as Joe and Michael Lazarchick, sporting their highest handicaps in years, entered the battle for the lead. LZ Birdied the 3rd hole dropping a 30 foot putt center cup. Marc would post a low gross 84 and once again Jim would just fall short with an 85. Eddie Hannan’s magic was gone as he labored up to 112. One half the field scored 99 or over 100 on a difficult track. Only the good putters broke 90, Marc, Jim and Michael and they all had their share of makeable near misses.    At the turn Champion had the lead with his handicap tying Cummings at a gross 44. Lazarchick was second with a gross 42 just off Bohan’s blistering pace at 40.  Jim would finish 3rd and take over the point lead for the season. Keith MacGregor  took 4th and Phil Stocker 5th. At Le Petite Café  Pierre was  grumbling about high handicaps, but he knew Marc’s was not going to climb. OB in the Pub explained that Jim’s likely would drop, but Ed Hannan’s would likely climb. 

Joe has only played in OCAGA this season and Michael missed the first tournament and otherwise just has a handful 9 hole league rounds weakened by Chemo and Cancer Fatigue.  Both were playing well, obviously with enough rounds to stabilize their game. When both of them entered the league, natural talent was obvious. Chuck Cole, Lazarchick’s brother in law, boyhood friend of Joe, commented he was always good at all the sports  he played. Lazarchick, was carrying a 24 handicap when he shot a net 2 under to win a round during his first season. It was incredibly exciting watching their Blue Heron duel. Joe had two sixes, a seven and an eight, mitigated by four pars. Michael hit six four times, but sunk his second par five Birdie on the back. He just did not have enough to erase enough strokes. Stanislaw and Kasimir were thrilled with his effort and disappointed that he did not win. The Champion’s Club went ballistic with Joy.    

SCORECARD

SCATS

RESULTS

NEXT:

RUNNING DEER WEDNESDAY JULY 22nd 12 NOON FIRST TEE TIME

Please arrive 1/2 hour before first tee time.

Eddie Hannan shocked the field with a stunning win at The Vineyards. VEGAS could not attract much money even at 100-1 odds. Holding the highest handicap, he beat Marc Bohan’s masterful performance in the low eighties, by three strokes. The investigative reporter has not yet interviewed Hannan to discuss family origins. In the Irish Pub however O’Brien was being bombarded by questions as Eddie neared the finish line. OB said Hannan is primarily Gaelic Irish, anglicized from the Clan Ó hAnnáin.  A shower of Half & Half from quickly raised mugs filled the air. It was O’Hara’s Irish Pale Ale poured on the bottom & Dark Guinness on the top. OB immediately added that ordering by calling it a Black and Tan is considered highly offensive in Ireland because the Black and Tans were a notorious British paramilitary force deployed in 1920 to suppress Irish Independence. 

Eddie shot a net 65 which is seven under par. His handicap will drop. He will not be alone however, with half a field scoring par or better. Marc did take second place and after two, is in first place in overall points. With a net 4 under, 68 he beat William Tobias Finger by lower handicap tiebreaker and In fourth place, beat current Champion, John Larson by just one stroke. The Hofbräuhaus was hopping and boisterous all day. 

Next door the Polish American Tavern was just as loud. Rich Antczak returned from the Arizona tour, greeted by girl scout chants, “Richie Richie, He’s Too Cute!” Rich finished with a net two under par. His drives were sweet, followed by decent approach shots. His pitching and chipping was superb leaving more and more short putts as the tournament unfolded. The Tavern cheered often viewing a nice 5th place finish. Because it was the day before his 6th infusion of Chemotherapy Michael Lazarchick started his 3 days of being on steroids. With only seven rounds of  nine hole Golf all this year, often showing some fatigue on 8 or 9,  no one knew if he could actually play 18 holes.  He showed and was greeted with Community and considerable wishes of Goodwill  from the tour players. Of course the investigative reporter took a survey on the Promenade.The Doctor was rated. as having the healthiest diet and considered least likely to get cancer or a heart attack or autoimmune disease or diabetes.  It was shocking to hear he was diagnosed with the Royal Stage (highest) of metastasized prostate cancer throughout his lymphatic system and Bones and and given maybe 3 months to live by his Oncologist if he did not take chemo. Yet here he was 15 weeks since a PSA number over 2000 was brought down to .4,  getting ready to play the forward tees with Phil Stocker driving. He hit his first drive, with booming draw over the corner of the sand trap, past the others in the foursome. Pierre shook his head mumbling under his breath, “Red Tees and on Drugs!” The Tavern went wild. Lazarchick turned and said, “Watch out for Me!” Phil, Rich and Eddie Borillo responded with verbal Accolade and Claps.  LZ took the front 9 in his group with a gross 46. 

The favorites were in the first group, Marc, Jim, John and Andy. Marc and Andy continue to play from the regulation tees. Both have  driving distance when they connect and the Vineyards is relatively forgiving on the way to the greens. Putting was tricky for  most players. The short  Iron and chipping to within 18 inches was a big help. Everybody wants to beat Marc in gross score head to head. It does not happen often. When Marc floundered to a triple bogey on 16, Jim and John with easy par, actually thought they had a chance. Marc was furious with himself and turned on the focus. He Birdied 17 and 18. Le Petite Cafe customers responded with respectable hand pumps and nodding “Yes” heads, once again witnessing Bohan Golf Swing Poetry. Andy finished 6th with a net two under. Jim took 7th with even par. Fran, also even par was next with a higher handicap. Troy Midgette playing as a guest was net one over par and will be encouraged to join OCAGA. He will get points for the tournament eventually if he does. Ed Borillo and Dave Kissinger rounded out the top ten. While Dave struggled on the back, Eddie rectified a very slow over 50 start, with a blazing hot 43 on the back. 

Keith struggled with putts, Lazarchick got fatigued and had to put his driver in the bag and take out his trusty 2 Wood off the tee. Phil, still struggling with leg and back issues, did not have enough power. Joe Champion just hasn’t played enough this season.

POINTS AFTER TWO

39    Bohan, Marc

37    Borillo, Ed

35    Cummings, Jim

34    Hannan, Eddie

34    Kissinger, Dave

34 Finger, Bill

30    Larson, John

29    Swanson, Andy

28    Fran Middleman

26    Champion, Joe

20    Antczak, Rich

20    MacGregor, Keith

9    Lazarchick,Michael

8    Stocker, Phil

0    Midgette, Troy

0    Cummings, Sue

0    Finger, Ruthann

President John Larson and Bill Finger received a rousing accolade entering the Hofbräuhaus for the fantastic transition of running the league and scheduling with Lazarchick pretty much out of commission. At press time Bill was working on Blue Heron Pines as the next venue the morning of July 1st. 

The President’s message is about Scorecards. There should be two turned in, with the name of the Scorekeeper printed on the card. Birdies and Eagles should be circled. The names and holes where players got sandies (out of the trap, up and down, with two strokes total) and nasties (into the hole from off the green), should be clearly printed on the cards.  CTP (closest to the pin) should only be identified on the cards from the last group. Players should have “paper” available to write down their name and hole, to put a tee through at the place where they get a closest to the pin. If they are closer than an existing mark, they pick it up and move it. If the distance is too close to measure, the first person was not beaten. It is prudent to personally keep track of distance in case someone else eventually claims to be closer. Keeping Legible Scorecards that Match, Ensures Correct Scoring and Counting of SCATS.  

Cards that are cluttered with miscellaneous personal notations with little or no attempt at neatness are hard to read. 

 SCATS          With that said, there were 14 SCATS:  2 each for Antczak, Andy Swanson, Ed Borillo,  Ed Hannan and Bill Finger. .    1 each for Jim Cummings, Michael Lazarchick, John Larson, Keith MacGregor 

SCORECARD

RESULTS

The city of Sorrento Italy gifted The Godfather several cases of  Dolceterra Lemoncello, highly regarded as one of the best drinks in the world. He gave everyone a taste when Ed Borillo was two strokes behind Marc Bohan in Gross Score at the turn  They held their glasses high and toasted to the Shrine in the entrance of the Italian Bistro,  “A Faint Glimmer of Hope,” honoring Ed’s incredible 2002 Championship Season. And here he was on this day, the eldest player on the tour, with the highest handicap, leading the field by a significant margin.

 At Le Petite Café,  Pierre was grumbling once again that Marc Bohan’s Handicap was too low. When the initial final scores were posted Pierre immediately shifted to outrage and made formal protest when he saw that  Marc, Andy and Bill were under review for probable disqualification for submitting non matching scorecards. Neither card was signed. One with Marc’s name spelled correctly, as opposed to the other which replaced the C with a K,  only had scores through the first 17 holes. The other had what appeared to be scores posted in the wrong boxes on holes 12 and 13. Technically, when scorecards do not match, the higher score is taken as the official final score. That rule would eliminate Marc’s possible Birdie on # 12 and closest to the pin for three points. Pierre argued that the Cards for Fran, Jim, Ed Hannan and Dave were also not signed and the Secretary was not at the tournament to accept and verify signatures! With the Promenade ablaze with chatter about Brain Fog and Chemo Fatigue, the Hofbräuhaus added support to an Incompetence Claim noting the incorrectly published name of William Tobias Finger. Of course, they were quick to add that President John Larson undoubtedly would have addressed the situation had the membership come to his Pre-Tournament meeting to start the season. 

In the Polish American Tavern, Stanislaw told Cashmir that Art Czachorowski, who was on the committee that formed the Ocean City Amateur Golf Association, and Marc’s father, also in that group, would have never turned in a card that was unsigned with numbers not matching. They were of course upset that Rich Antczak had not yet returned from the Arizona tour. With Art’s passing and Lazarchick diagnosed with debilitating stage 4 cancer, the Tavern had no representation. Anticipatory excitement exploded when it was announced Rich would  be back for The Vineyards.

The Norwegian Cruise line bar was also a glum place with Phil Stocker last minute injury and possibility of not being back for the next venue. Henrik did interject that Phil Stocker was still universally accepted as the best OCAGA President of all time. 

Michael O’Brian was in his seat at the Irish Pub, pumping blood with a pacemaker, not released to play by his doctor. He shook his head often watching phenom Jim Cummings, a Rookie of the Year, struggle  to keep his front score under 50. OB was surrounded by Patrons who were trying to sit as close to him as possible. When they groaned too much, OB reminded them with calming hand gesture and words that the tournament was far from over.

The Hofbräuhaus,  now featuring Larson and Finger,  in general, are now considered to have the strongest team. Lisbet, the new bartender has been encouraging everybody to lobby for John Larson as the best ever President. There has not been such early enthusiasm since Joe Champion took his leadership role. With Joe in the hunt, The Champion Club was also energized. Of course on opening day there was a large contingent of girl scouts outside. Stephanie’s quote, “Why would I do that?” is almost a mantra for the scouts, needing no explanation when it appears on a teashirt, except to the new younger women. When they join the troop they hear the story of Art Czachorowski complaining he did not like “to be out driven by a girl off the senior tees” and his questioning why they were allowed to play.in tournaments The quote of course was her response to the offer to play from the forward red tees. Joe was quick to to respond there was no rule saying Women were not allowed on the tour.

When the Investigative Reporter questioned President John Larson about the handicaps, other complaints and removing the Secretary, he quickly quelled all “discussions.” He said first of all that he had full confidence in his Secretary, who is clearly the best the association has ever had. And, this Association is about Having Fun and Being as Fair as Possible with a framework designed to give all players an opportunity to make money, not just the best players with the most skills. He concluded with our Secretary publishes everything he does and if anyone is against being Fair and Having Fun, they are welcome to look elsewhere!    

The Middleman Bar, the preferred hang out for entrepreneurs, was exceptionally lively with Fran Middleman’s entrance to the tour. With the same handicap as Andy Swanson and also playing from the regulation tees, he was not only edging out Andy for a top five finish, he was quite competitive with Champion, Cummings and Kissinger for second place. It was an exciting race.  All the veterans put on a finishing show. While Andy fell short, both Champion and Cummings were impressive and caught Middleman, finishing ahead by virtue of lower handicaps. Indeed, Jim dropped par on 6 of the last 7 holes igniting the Irish Pub, highlighting OB’s wisdom. Seeing the line and executing became very easy. He just started his charge a little too late. 

The Italian Bistro increasingly sent loud cheers out onto the Promenade. Dave Kissinger dropped three beautiful putts all for bogey over the last holes, just enough to squeeze out a second place victory. It was Eddie Borillo however that turned back the clock, shocking the field with a three stroke victory, with the lead over all 18 holes. His drives were not quite the distance he had during his prime, but formidable and in the fairways. His mid game was solid, chipping sweet and his putting elicited ever increasing crescendos of oohs and ahhs. Ed Borillo was simply magnificent on opening day.

It was hovering around 60 when they reached the tee box. After a late season charge that allowed him to come back to win the regular season,Michael Lazarchick was not comfortable. There was a cool breeze and he was a warm weather lover. Both John Larson and Dave Kissinger were feeling a slightly uneasy, Competition Anxiety. The favorite, Marc Bohan was focused,  in competition mode. Everybody hit the fairway but Lazarchick with his second shot  ricocheted off the goal post trees he had successfully navigated all season, into the woods.  John and Marc sunk par gaining strokes on Dave and Michael.

Marc took the second hole sending a dart towards the cup for an eventual tap in Birdie. Michael took the third with short play that yielded a Bogey. The fourth hole proved tricky to putt. Mark saved bogey, Dave doubled, John suffered to triple and LZ labored to a 9. On the par three Marc and John made the putt, Michael and Dave did not. On the par 5 Monster, both Dave and Marc struggled and found the water on the right side, while John needed to take an unplayable lie in the woods on the left. LZ blasted a shot down the middle and followed with his two wood, which rolled through the fairway under the rope into the rough. Feeling like he had to make up for all the strokes he had yielded thus far, he foolishly wound up hitting  behind his four plus wood into the water, rather than use an easy six iron to get in front of the green for a nice up and down. John finished the hole with a double a stroke better than Michael  Both Dave and Marc carded a 9. At the turn no one was happy with their score. Marc had shaved off 4 strokes from John, 6 strokes from Dave and was leading Lazarchick with a gross 43. LZ had managed to hit a season long high using 55 strokes to navigate the front, clearly showing fatigue and inability to maintain focus.

The back was two different matches. Lazarchick was 6 strokes behind Dave head to head, and giving him another 4 strokes, but Dave was still nursing a bad shoulder. They battled and Dave faltered more, letting in Michael for a tie on the last hole. John was 4 strokes up on Marc at the turn with handicap. By the thirteenth hole it was a one stroke difference. Marc dropped a beautiful putt while John struggle to a triple bogey. Once again, fans were feeling the tension as two of the best were fighting for the title. John sunk a saving long putt on the fourteenth while Marc missed a put that looked like it was going to drop. As has often been the case,  the Par 5 seventeenth hole proved to be the winner. Marc uncharacteristically missed a fairway swing, but still saved a par. John was pristine. He sunk a 12 foot Birdie Putt and that was just enough to retain his title. John Larson beat the best the league had to offer  to become the 2025 Champion. 

In the Two Person Scrambles, Jim Cummings and Phil Stocker took first place money. Wayne Flemming and Joe Champion tied with Bill Finger and Keith MacGregor for second place money.   

In the Polish American Tavern a rumor was spreading that Michael Lazarchick was undergoing testing for possible metastasized Prostate Cancer. Stanislaw saw an early copy of the newest additions to Michael’s Wellness Journey Story, what would be in print at the bottom of his Blog, dated March and April 2026. https://www.yananow.org/display_story.php?id=1287 

Centerton was not the Cow Pasture described in disdain by Bob Westcott when he refused the invitation to play. The air was a little heavy, but actually quite pleasant at tee time. There was some wind, but not enough to overly complicate club selection. The Greens were on the slow side compared to the other venues on the schedule, but clearly players adjusted fairly quickly. Indeed, over half the field would finish in the 70s or 80s and only 2 players reached above the low 90s.

In the Polish American Tavern they were very comfortable drinking Żywiec, the popular Polish pale lager, imported to honor The Doctor making the final four. Known for its crisp, light-bodied profile with floral/herbal hop notes and a balanced malt character, the beer follows the traditional Reinheitsgebot purity law, using natural ingredients like finest malted barley, choicest hops, and mountain spring water, resulting in a dry, refreshing finish. Art Czachorowski’s Picture is prominently displayed on the center wall over the bar. He won Five OCAGA Championships. Michael Lazarchick won a third in 2020 and Marc Bohan took his third in 2022. Art was the oldest to ever win the title until Mike O’Brien finally broke that record in 2023. Art first Shot his Age, actually 2 strokes under, winning Avelon in 2021. It is an understatement to say he is Legendary in the OCAGA annals.

In the Irish Pub OB was still out awaiting the result of a Cardioversion to shock his heart into a regular rhythm. Black & Tan (Harp & Guinness) was on Tap honoring him. The promo included Rookie of the Year candidate, Jim Cummings. The Pub was jam packed. There was considerable excitement as Jim opened with three pars taking the lead in a tight battle with Michael and Andy. All three focused in, as the other two continued to send great drives down the fairways. With no women playing and Richie Antczak back on the Arizona Tour, the girl scouts were following Andy Swanson, constantly swooning. He was hitting greens in regulation. His only double early was on the long par three from the white tees. His par putt was short, followed by a 360 not dropping in the cup. He was tied with Larson and Bohan after nine, spiking Swanson’s Health Food Stock. Jim was a stroke better on a much shorter course and LZ had the low gross after nine with a 37! Playing a much longer course, nearly 200 yards more on ten and eleven, Andy started the back six over par, while Jim and Michael played the holes one over. Otherwise they all were magnificent. Their collective energy sent chills through the air. Viewers were captivated, feeling the intensity, witnessing a competitive masterpiece of excellence. They played the fairways, executed the short game and sunk putts. Cummings finished with 12 pars. Lazarchick had 11 pars and a birdie. Jim carded a 79 for a second place finish. Michael shot two strokes below his age, 76 to win the tournament. Andy took fourth.

Pierre in Le Petite Cafe was complaining about Marc Bohan’s Handicap, again. He asked accounting student Nicolette to check indexes and average scores during the season. He was not happy that at the turn Marc was tied with Andy Swanson and John Larson, and behind Cummings and Lazarchick in Gross score. He thought 6 strokes was too much to give John, Jim and Michael and everybody else was getting even more. He told Nicolette he did not think anyone should play forward tees, especially “The Doctor.” She shook her head with a slightly confused gaze and responded with “Isn’t he like really, really old, half way through his 79th year? Marc just turned 60!” Before he answered she brought up the USGA Tee it Forward. Basically the object is to give the player a chance to score par and Lazarchick has proven he is no longer competitive from the “White” tees. She showed Pierre his lowest score, 82 in the 2022 Centerton Tournament. A week later when Marc needed a make up round, they played together from the white tees. Lazarchick added a dozen strokes to his game. Pierre huffed away. Meanwhile, the Cafe had Kronenbourg 1664 on special sent from Brasseries Kronenbourg Brewery to honor Marc as the most accomplished French Canadian Athlete. Chloé prepared mini tourtière using venison. The crowd became increasingly boisterous as the back unfolded. Marc dropped five straight pars. As always, his gallery was substantial. It was bedlam in the end when Nicolette announced, before the USGA even posted speculative results, Marc made the Final Four, cruising to a low gross 38 on the back, two over par! Once again he delivered a late season low score.

Kissinger was in the Final Four. Lazarchick would need to finish last while either John or Bill finished first and get 3 extra points for closest to pin. Clearly, the battle was for fourth place among John, Bill and Marc Bohan, who was only 2 points behind in 5th place. John and Marc were tied for gross score after 9. Bill, only 6 points higher in gross, had a significant lead with his handicap. They were all hypervigilant. Playing in the first foursome both John and Bill knew they had a better chance of beating the other, than beating Marc. Marc in the second foursome was exceptionally methodical. He took four strokes from John in the first four holes on the back, but the next five holes were a net tie. John carded a sweet 82, taking 3rd place. Unfortunately Bill, played the last four, nine over par. For the second consecutive year he missed the final four by a mere two strokes. Marc finished with a very impressive 78 and a trip to the Finals!

RESULTS

SCORECARD

SCATS

Final POINTS

173 Lazarchick, Michael
167 Kissinger, Dave
152 Larson, John
144 Bohan, Marc

142 Finger, Bill
136 Swanson, Andy
131 Champion, Joe
107 Cummings, Jim
101 Borillo, Ed
91 Hannan, Eddie
89 Cummings, Sue
83 Fleming, Wayne
70 Middleman, Fran
45 Finger, Ruthann
44 Stocker, Phil

Championship Final Four

Pinelands October 17th FRIDAY

11:21

All others will play for Prize Money in a 2 Person Team Scramble, Paired by Handicaps

Final Four Handicaps & Teams